Knee arthroscopy is a technique that provides a direct view of the joint thanks to the introduction of a camera. It makes it possible to treat injuries of the meniscus, cruciate and collateral ligaments and articular cartilage.
What does knee arthroscopy consist of?
Knee arthroscopy, according to experts in traumatology, is a minimally aggressive technique. That is to say, we only need a few small openings in the skin to perform the surgery.
With this technique we have a direct vision of the joint from a camera that we introduce inside the knee, which we call arthroscope, to have a diagnosis by direct vision. Likewise, we have developed and specific material that facilitates the task of treating injuries inside the joint.
Pathologies able to be cured with Arthroscopy
Knee arthroscopy is able to cure pathologies of the tissues inside the joint such as:
– Meniscus
– Cruciate and collateral ligaments
– Articular cartilage
Advantages of Arthroscopy
In principle, the conception of this type of surgery which, as we have mentioned before, is called minimally aggressive, allows us to better preserve all the extra-articular tissues (which do not need to be injured to reach the place we need to repair). This circumstance allows us to have fewer and less serious complications.
Possible complications in operations with Arthroscopy
However, in all surgeries there are always some common dangers such as: the risk of infection or nerve and vascular damage, intra-articular complications such as hydrarthros (knee full of fluid) due to inflammatory reactivity phenomena or bleeding after surgery, or cases in which the patient’s biology prevents a proper recovery, despite a good surgical technique.
How long does recovery take and what care should the patient take?
The recovery time usually ranges from approximately one month for surgeries with milder or less aggressive injuries, and up to 6 months for more serious ones, such as cruciate ligament rupture.
Basically, the care to be taken by the patient is usually indicated by the medical professional who performs the surgery, so it is usually sufficient to follow exhaustively the indications proposed by the professionals, both medical and rehabilitators.